


Hopeful

by myouim



Category: Real Person Fiction, TWICE (Band)
Genre: F/F, Family, Science Experiments
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-03
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2020-07-30 10:13:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,028
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20095600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myouim/pseuds/myouim
Summary: Every day, Nayeon would go to her laboratory, finding herself peeking through the lenses of her invention. And for every day, Nayeon let her heart broke into million more of pieces.





	Hopeful

An engine continuously beeped loudly across the room, causing the two sleep-deprived scientists to panic and walk frantically around the laboratory to find ways to silence the machine. When the sound came to a stop, the head researcher approached the machine to check the result of their 12th trial of the day. The scientist gasped as she peeked on the ocular lenses placed on the top of the machine.

"What did you see?"

The head scientist was still astounded to answer her associate researcher.

"Nayeon, let me look at that," Jeongyeon, the associate scientist, told her companion.

Nayeon quickly faced Jeongyeon, surprising the other.

"What?"

"There were no present active energy seen from the ocular," Nayeon started.

"Then why are you so shocked? We've been having the same results ever since this research started," Jeongyeon replied while she inputs the numerical results from the experiment trial.

"But what was present there was a complete answer to our problem," Nayeon said.

"Please get to the point, Nay."

"The occular gives off different images, Jeong. We have been trying to detect energies coming off outside our universe, and we're constantly failing. But right now, for God knows how, the machine is displaying a complete image of another universe out there. And I don't know what to take from this," Nayeon explained.

"What now?" Jeongyeon exclaimed as she walked hurriedly towards the eyepiece. She looked into it and gasped, "Holy cow, you're right."

Nayeon and Jeongyeon were physicists and astrophysicists respectively, who were currently working on proving their inerpretation of the many-worlds theory. Nayeon was the first one to work on their research, and when she presented her theories to their university, no one from their institution supported her idea - aside from Jeongyeon who later on became Nayeon's associate.

They were planning to develop an instrument that could detect energy waves coming from outside the universe. Eight months into their research, and they still could not get the results that they require. Not until today, when they finally prove the existence of other universes outside the one that they were in.

"This is great, Nayeon. We finally proved our theories."

Nayeon did not respond as she was thinking very deeply about the experiment's outcome.

"But this is not the result that we want," Nayeon finally said after minutes of thinking.

"Yes? But still it shows that there are multiverses existing out there," Jeongyeon countered.

"I know, and I think it's good that we've come to know that what we believe is right, but I really think we should follow the framework of our research and gather the data that we actually need," Nayeon replied.

Jeongyeon sighed, knowing that the head researcher would always have the final decision.

"I guess we'll have to just adjust the frequency of this radar to distinguish unusual wavelengths coming off the system." Jeongyeon replied with a probable solution to Nayeon's suggestions.

The two scientists continued to adjust their machine's components, hoping to finally finish their paper.

Ten trials later, the two of them successfully conducted the experiment, giving them the results that they _need_. They recorded the data, analysed the results, and then finally concluded their research.

After a couple of months of pure paper works, they finally submitted their research. Immediately, their paper was published into different journals and they became entirely known amongst all scientists around the world. Although there were scientists who gave probable explanations on the multiverse theory, Nayeon and Jeongyeon were the only ones who were really able to give its concrete evidences.

"So what are we gonna do now?" Jeongyeon asked Nayeon.

"You talk as if your career is ending," Nayeon laughed. "Let's continue contributing to science, and I'll do improvements on the image things on our instrument."

"You really won't stop, huh?" Jeongyeon told Nayeon.

"Of course I won't. It's the sole reason why I'm a physicist." Nayeon replied.

Jeongyeon knew that Nayeon was really a fan of science. She knew that all of Nayeon's works were made for the service to technology and to people. However, Jeongyeon was also aware that their recent discovery and invention was due to Nayeon's own beliefs. Jeongyeon knew that the evidence of the existence of other universes would give Nayeon a peace of mind, which is why she offered to help her. She knew Nayeon too well - knew that their research would be the only way to make Nayeon happy again.

They were still new in the institution when Nayeon told Jeongyeon her improving theories about multiverses. Jeongyeon jokingly questioned Nayeon's thoughts that time, but still believed that Nayeon's idea may have a chance.

_("Multiverse? I can't even survive this universe then you expect infinite number of Jeongyeons out there living some life?" Jeongyeon joked._

_"Well, at least other Jeongyeons from those universes might actually have a life unlike you," Nayeon replied while smirking.")_

Then they started working together on different projects, but Jeongyeon still didn't know why Nayeon was still pushing on the theories that she had. Nayeon kept on asking for the director's permission to operate a research regarding her ideas, but to no avail, Nayeon's theories were ignored.

Jeongyeon was curious why Nayeon consistently believed the many-worlds interpretation, and when she found out why she can't help but feel the need to support Nayeon about her ideas.

_("So you really won't give up about that. I'm surprised you're not losing hope," Jeongyeon said._

_"It's the only hope I got," Nayeon replied sadly._

_"Only hope on what? Nobel Prize? Earlier promotion? There are still other fields in physics that are completely available and relatively important. Why push on multiverse theory?" Jeongyeon asked._

_"I'm not hoping for a prize nor a promotion," Nayeon answered._

_"Then why do you keep on suggesting those theories?" Jeongyeon asked, confused._

_Nayeon smiled sadly._

_"It's my only shot to know that there is possibly a Nayeon out there, living the happiest life."_

_Jeongyeon did not know what caused Nayeon to think that way, all she knew was that she had to help Nayeon.)_

Now that Nayeon knew that there are other universes out there, she became more hopeful. She knew that somehow somewhere out there, there will be a Nayeon who did the right thing and _lived the happiest life_.

And then she continued.

She continued improving every little detail on their invented machine. She continued working on it even without anyone's knowledge. She sometimes asked for Jeongyeon's help, but most of the time she theorized, designed, and materialized everything by herself just to have the maximum capacity of knowing the life from the other universes.

When she finally believed that she had perfected the inventions, she became contented.

"You finally did it," Jeongyeon told Nayeon, and the latter only nodded.

"Are you going to search for it?" Jeongyeon asked.

"Yes, I will." Nayeon answered.

"Do you think you're ready for it?" Jeongyeon asked Nayeon again.

"I think I am. It's the only thing I ever wanted to see." Nayeon replied. Jeongyeon patted Nayeon’s shoulders, showing support for the older’s decision.

“I hope you won’t hurt yourself doing that,” Jeongyeon finally said before leaving Nayeon’s laboratory.

Nayeon sighed.

In all honesty, she was really scared of the invention that she had created. The power of the instrument was really terrifying, which is why Nayeon decided to keep her invention to herself and her lab partner. She knew that whatever the machine will show her would affect the way she lived her life right now. But of course, it didn’t matter – finally seeing the different Nayeons living outside her world – because she knew that whatever it may be, her life in this universe was probably the worst.

Nayeon walked towards the viewing lenses of her machine. Carefully turning it on, Nayeon prepared herself. She adjusted the channel of the machine, then she entered the codes that specified the location that the instrument would had to show.

A couple of minutes later, the ocular displayed the first images of another Nayeon.

The present world Nayeon almost wanted to cry as she saw the images. She knew the possibility of seeing those moments, but she never would have thought that she would get it on the first try.

It was set on the same office that she had during the present world. The only difference was she was probably working about the string theory there, guessing from the solutions and formulas shown from the images. And most importantly, she wasn’t alone in the room there. On the very center of her other world office, a little girl was sitting neatly on a couch while reading a book.

“Baby,” Nayeon cried as she watched herself scribble on the blank paper that she was holding, probably writing and solving a significant equation on her project. Nayeon continued watching from the lenses, not minding the tears that were now rolling down her cheeks.

Without a warning, the screen blacked out. Nayeon took herself away from the lenses, eyes were red and mind was a mess. She checked the computer running the instrument then she realized that the signal was weak.

She slid to the nearest chair as she brought her knees up to her chest.

_‘So that was what I suppose to have, huh?’ _Nayeon thought to herself.

She glanced back again on the machine as she continued crying. She sighed, thinking that all it took for her invention to make her cry was few images of an alternate universe Nayeon.

A few moments later, Jeongyeon walked back to Nayeon’s laboratory.

“What happened to you?” Jeongyeon asked as she quickly walked towards Nayeon.

“She was alive,” Nayeon said.

“You got it that fast?” Jeongyeon asked while Nayeon just nodded her head.

“What happened?” Jeongyeon asked her again.

“I don’t know, Jeong. I just put the right codes, and then the images was there, and she was alive and I was working. She was so big now, and I just miss her so much,” Nayeon rambled as Jeongyeon hugged there.

“I don’t know if I am happy knowing that in another life, she was there – healthy and with me. Or I am sad knowing that this Nayeon with you is not the Nayeon with her,” she added.

“Would you want to tell Jihyo about it?” Jeongyeon asked.

Nayeon shook her head, “I’ve put her through much, and I don’t want her to feel like this again.”

“I know that this was all what I wanted to do, watch my other selfs to live the life I should have had. But it really hurts you know? Knowing that I was the ‘luckiest’ Nayeon to have ever lived,” Nayeon said.

“Then, what are you going to do?” Jeongyeon asked.

“Nothing. I should probably just find that channel again, and improve that fucking machine,” Nayeon answered.

“Don’t push yourself too much, buddy. Just remember we’ll always be her with you,” Jeongyeon said as she helped Nayeon to stand.

And just like what she said, Nayeon searched for the rightful channel of her life.

Every day, Nayeon would go to her laboratory, finding herself peeking through the lenses of her invention. And for every day, Nayeon let her heart broke into million more of pieces.

She would use her extra time watching herself work with her _daughter_ staying at her office most of the time. Though the little girl do mundane things, Nayeon still found herself amazed by the every actions of the girl.

She knew that one day, she had to stop and she had to tell her wife about it, but Nayeon never had the guts to do it.

Until there was a time when she saw something that she thought would be impossible even on the probably the best universe out there.

She saw her wife walking cheerfully towards her other self.

Then all the memories flooded Nayeon’s mind.

(_“I’m very sorry to tell you the news, Dr. Im. We really did what we can, but we couldn’t save them both,” the medical doctor told Nayeon before leaving her as she sat on the chair._

_Nayeon felt the world crashing, knowing that the little family that she had always dreamt was still a dream that she would never have._

_She looked towards her wife who was peacefully sleeping on the hospital bed._

_“I’m so sorry, Ji,” Nayeon whispered to the sleeping woman._

_Hours later, her wife Jihyo woke up – slowly opening her eyes._

_“Nayeon?” Jihyo called out._

_“Hi baby,” Nayeon softly greeted as she helped her wife sat up._

_“How’s Jiyeon? Have you seen her already?” Jihyo asked her. _

_“She’s gone, baby.” Nayeon said as she broke down again in front of her wife._

_“What do you mean gone?” Jihyo asked her, panic very evident on her eyes._

_“They couldn’t do anything to save her, and our little angel is gone,” Nayeon explained._

_“How did that happen?” _

_“They said that your condition was very critical, and worse come to worst, the both of you might have died. They said they can only save either of you so they asked me to quickly choose who I want to save, and I just couldn’t see myself without you so I had to let our baby go, Ji.” Nayeon explained._

_“But she’s our baby, Nayeon! How could you do that to our baby? You told me you’d do anything for her,” Jihyo exclaimed. Not wanting to believe every words that Nayeon had just said._

_“I can’t just let you go, Jihyo. You know that.” Nayeon said._

_“And you know I wouldn’t just let our baby go like that. Even if it could cost my life,” Jihyo cried._)

She still remembered that dreadful day – when her life started to go downhill. She remembered how she was made to choose between her wife and her daughter. She remembered choosing the love of her life. And she still remembered how Jihyo changed after that day.

Ever since the death of their daughter, Jihyo became different. She became sad and depressed and discouraged, constantly blaming herself for not doing her best to keep their lovely child. Nayeon knew that even after seven years, Jihyo still cried herself to sleep and was still visited by nightmares every night.

And even after all these years, Nayeon believed that she could have done better.

This was the sole reason why she made herself to believe that there were other universes out there, the only reason why she used all her power just to know that there was a Nayeon who had a Jiyeon.

The Many-Worlds Interpretation. The theory, which she proved to be true, that tells everyone that for every action that had more than one possible outcome, the universe would split into different number of outcomes.

Then if she had proven it to be true, how come both Jihyo and Jiyeon were alive?

Nayeon suddenly felt dizzy, causing her to lose her balance and stumble towards the computer. Then the channel was changed.

New set of images were displayed. This time the other Nayeon was sitting on a couch and a child, who she believed was Jiyeon, was settled on her lap. Seconds later, her wife Jihyo walked towards the other Nayeon and Jiyeon – confusing the present world Nayeon more.

Nayeon couldn’t believe what she was seeing so she changed the channel again.

And just like the past two sets of images, Jihyo and Jiyeon were there. She kept changing the channels but all of them was displaying images where her wife and her daughter were both alive and with her.

‘_How can this happen?’ _Nayeon thought to herself before running outside her laboratory to go home.

She had to tell Jihyo.

She immediately went to her car and drove herself home. All she could think was how it was possible that for every universe out there, she had the chance to have the family that she wanted. She could not explain how awful it feel to know that she was probably the only Nayeon who ruined a chance of a happy life.

And then it finally hit her. Every Jiyeons that were present in the other worlds had different ages. It was fate, spelling it out for her that the world had not ended yet and that she was destined to be happy.

When she finally arrived home, she quickly enter their bedroom. She found her wife sleeping on their bed, tears had evidently dried on her cheeks.

Nayeon immediately hugged Jihyo. The latter easily woke up.

“What happened to you?” Jihyo asked Nayeon as she sat on their bed.

“It’s not yet over, baby.” Nayeon cried.

“What?”

“Remember the last project I worked with Jeongyeon?” Nayeon asked.

“The multiverse?”

“Yes. I continued working on it, and not only had I proven that there are other universes out there, I also had the chance to look over what was happening there,” Nayeon explained.

“Then?”

“Jiyeon is alive, Ji.” Nayeon revealed. “She _is_ alive for every universe, and you are too. First I was confused, knowing that I had messed up before, but then I realized that we still have a chance,” she added.

“So you’re telling me that on every other worlds, we still have our baby, but we’re unlucky enough to have ours gone?” Jihyo asked.

“No, Ji. I’m telling you that our destiny is saying that we can still have our family, but it is our choice to really have one. In every universe out there, we never stopped trying. And I’m saying that we shouldn’t had.” Nayeon explained.

“I don’t understand.”

“Amongst all universe, most of them went to an outcome in which I chose to save you during that night. But in every other universe, we still made a choice to build the family that we had always dreamt. This just means that we are really fated to have Jiyeon, it’s just that there is no distinct time when,” Nayeon said.

And for the first time in seven years, Nayeon finally saw hope through Jihyo’s eyes.

“Remember our promise to never stop trying until we have our baby?” Nayeon asked Jihyo.

“Yes,” Jihyo answered as Nayeon leaned her forehead towards hers.

“Do you still want to keep it?”

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote a prompt once, and decided to make it a story.
> 
> "Wherein Nayeon is a scientist who accidentally invented a machine that can let her see the events happening on different parallel universe. Knowing that her discoveries may greatly affect everyone's life, she kept the machine to herself, and use it to watch a parallel Nayeon living the life that she dreamt for herself."


End file.
